Wow, guess who’s on a guitar kick?
When I first learned to play guitar — which would be roughly 20 years ago — the ways in which people learned to play guitar could be enumerated quite quickly.
- Figure out songs by ear by listening to radio/tapes/LPs.
- Pick up chord books and then figure out songs by ear by listening to radio/tapes/LPs.
- Pay someone to teach you to play.
- Buy guitar magazines that sparsely doled out a few songs a month to hasten figuring out songs.
That’s the gamut right there. I did all four to some extent or another over the years, taking lessons, buying books, reading magazines. But, to paraphrase codgers the world over who lament the ease with which younger generations accomplish things, kids sure do have it easy these days.
Added to the methods listed above we now have the Internet and all the resources within, including resources that I’m sure I have yet to even tap. Want to know how to play that latest John Mayer tune? 280,000 search results will likely lead you right to it. There’s literally hundred of online forums where like-minded guitarists can share insights and techniques, including sound samples. Let’s not forget about my new favorite toy, the GuitarPort which brings quality sound and easy recordability to every one and the online component which provides lessons and other valuable tools. It’s hard not to think back to my younger years and wonder where I’d be had these tools existed then.
Because standard tuning is so boring
That said, what is it with the music of today and the use of alternate tunings? Back in my day — I had to work that phrase into this post somehow — unless you were playing a couple of the more obscure Led Zeppelin songs, the wackiest tuning you’d find is a drop-D. Now I’m having a hard time finding any songs in which I’m interested in standard tuning. From Alterbridge to Nickelback, Sevendust to Dream Theater, every time I pull up a tab it’s in some wacky tuning. Open C, Open D, E-flat, Drop-C… what the hell’s so wrong with standard tuning?
There are tons of new and ultra-talented guitarists, you just have to look beyond mtv to find them. Guthrie Govan anyone? About alternate tunings, they are used to achieve different sounds and most of them are very logical. There is nothing set in stone saying that the guitar is to be tuned eadgbe, it’s just a tuning that happens to work well for the instrument in most situations. By the way, aren’t the vast majority of Dream Theater songs in standard tuning? At least up until Train of Thought.
Hey guys, I think I agree on both the tunings and the wealth of info available for a new guitar player. I started playing guitar in 95, and even then I thought I must have had it easy compared to my heroes of the day (clapton, hendrix etc), and I guess it’s even easier now with software programs and phrase trainers etc. Still, gotta be a good thing. Maybe we’ll see some great guitarists emerging over the next few years. And as for the weird tunings-I get the whole open G thing and a few other fingerstyle tunings, but I don’t know why the guys like alterbridge and nickelback etc really bother with it. Could it really be said that their tunes would sound worse in a standard tuning?
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I’m an avid and competent guitar player, and this post attracted me ^_^
I learned a lot about the guitar through the resources on the net, more so than any other place. The net’s a wealth when it comes down to to guitar-based articles and tips, and it really broadened my knowledge of musical theory AND my jazz-playing ability, the two things that I’ve always wanted to do.
Concerning alternate tunings, they offer many different advantages and allow for different things to be played on the guitar. It IS cool.
I’ll be finishing up on Dream Theater’s Stream of Consciousness when I’ve the time. Bloody work,
I used to avoid alternate tunings, too, until one day I was playing open G and suddenly I could play so many Stones with the right voicings. It sure seems to be the preferred tuning for Keith Richards. I think the point of many open tunings is to get that open droning and jangly sound. An open string on acoustic just rings longer and sounds richer. It is frustrating though — trying to find the tuning of a particular song. I really appreciate it when artists like Sonny Landreth, the incredible Louisiana slide player, put up info on their guitar setups and tunings. It saves a lot of time.
the thing about Dream Theater that pisses me off is not the alternate tuning, but the fact that John Petrucci uses 7 strings
and yes I agree the tools/lessons we have at our disposal now is mind boggling.. the internet literally taught me how to play… or would that be Al Gore then? 
It’s all because of RIAA. I know it. They’ve coerced all the recording artists to record in alternate tunings so that people can’t play the songs themselves thereby illegally violating copyright. Also, the RIAA is in cahoots on this with the major Guitar manufacturers, who know ultimately if you’re serious you’re going to buy a new guitar for each different possible tuning.
And that’s a lotta guitars.
I’ve determined that my next project will be to learn the entirety of Operation:Mindcrime by Queensryche. Old? Yes. But, I’ve always dug that disc and it’s all in standard tuning
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Cat, you’re talking to the world’s worst strummer. I never learned to strum. Don’t give up!
I really wish that Guitarport would write songs in standard tuning if possible. I understand that if a song is in altered tuning, it should be tabbed in altered tuning. But if a song is tuned down a 1/2 or full step, for the love of God, record the backing track in standard tuning.
I can’t be expected to constantly retune my Floyd Rose equipped Washburn. Nor can I be expected to play Whammy abusing songs with my Stratocaster.
i bought my guitar ten years ago. i still can’t play it.
i get really frustrated when i can’t get something and give up. BUT i seem to have taught myself to strum “backwards” (i strum UP rather than DOWN) and therefore can really only play the songs i have written myself rather than trying to play something someone else has written. oh well. i’m unique! 